Deliverance
by Arianhrod of Lemuria
Summary: A lost, confused soul desperately tries to find the slightest sign of humanity while overcoming life's obstacles. K/18
1. Opinionated

**Disclaimer: **I don't have anything to do with the series, just a bored writer.

_Author's Notes: So, I have been scouting around at recent fics done in the past year or so. Needless to say, they are pretty repetitive with very few of them having an original plot line. Not saying they are bad or anything, it is just I want to see some fresh ideas being produced. So, this is going to be my take on the whole theory of the two getting together. _

**Deliverance**

**Chapter One – Opinionated **

The surrounding wind glided ever so slightly to reveal a blue shard buried in the dirt. With a shaky hand, she picked it up ever so gently revealing its contents. A familiar logo was embedded on the side of this piece of equipment, a logo which revealed two R's.

_Red Ribbon._

Sighing, the young girl carefully caressed it within her now sweaty palms. Memories struck her like pins and needles. Tossing the object aside, the young girl fell down to her knees in search of more; furiously digging around for any clues which could reveal her past.

"_Can you make Android 17 and 18 human again?"_

"_...the wish may not be granted."_

The thought made her sick to her stomach. A machine. A soulless robot.She knew deep in her heart, she would never be anything more. Though the thought still lingered at the back of her mind, was there anything organic about her? It was because of this mindset that she blasted off towards the destroyed lab in hopes of finding the slightest clue of her existence.

If her brother caught her trying to find out about a sign of humanity within her, he would be furious. He hated the humans, he enjoyed not being a part of them. She was different, however. She never wanted to admit it, but she wanted to fit in. When she was on the lookout that faithful day, she wanted to be part of them...

That is why she so desperately wanted to unlock her past; she wanted to know this for a piece of mind. Perhaps she wasn't just created by a mad scientist known as _Dr. Gero, _maybe she had a past. Maybe she was a person once upon a time with not a worry in the world.

"Ugh, there is absolutely nothing left here," she hissed quietly to herself. "I will never know..."

Disgusted, she nearly gave up the search when she noticed something oddly placed in the sand not too far away from her. Curious, she carefully stepped forward to reveal its contents. It looked nothing more than a discarded piece of paper but what she saw astounded her, nearly taking her breath away.

In bold letters, a familiar name appeared in the far right corner. 18.

"T-this is it. This..." holding back her tears, she carefully folded the piece into her back pocket not daring to glance at it for a second. Not that she would ever be able to decipher it, this would be the one clue that could possibly unlock a fragment of her past.

She thought for herself for a second. Who would be able to help her out no matter what she did in the past... she couldn't bring it to a normal civilian; they would wonder why she had it in the first place or perhaps perform _tests_ on her for being an authentic android.

"Krillin?"

-//-

"You're what?"

Chi-Chi nearly collapsed upon revealing the unexpected news. Her husband wasn't coming back adding additional pressure to the unexpected pregnancy.

Bulma rushed to her side quickly while Krillin ran into the kitchen to grab a warm rag for her head. Giving a reassuring back rub, Bulma tried to comfort the shaken mother to be. "A baby is great! I mean, come on, you have something that Goku left behind for you. I mean, it's a blessing in itself if you think about it."

Bulma knew nothing would really help a situation like this. She knew if it were her in Chi Chi's shoes, she wouldn't know what to do with herself. She almost felt glad that she was with Vegeta, even though he wasn't there for her half the time. Training was more of a priority to him.

"I can help you Chi Chi. I mean, when Gohan was little, I absolutely enjoyed the time I got to spend with him. I mean, believe it or not, I always wanted to have a little one for myself so this will be great!" Krillin's cheeks gave a hint of blush while anxiously rubbing the back of his head. "I mean, really! I will help out all I can."

Krillin had always wanted to be father. It was one of the reasons he would want to flock to every girl that came across sight. To feel loved, be a father, have a family... the thought overwhelmed him quite a bit.

Chi Chi led out a sigh of relief. "Well, he will have Goku in him which will be nice. I don't know, it's just that all of these events stacking on top of each other really makes me want to scream." She grabbed hold of an empty frying pan which just so happened to be next to her. No one ever could figure out why there was always a cooking utensil less than three feet away from her at any given moment. "If I ever see Goku again, I will beat him to death! You better keep him away from me!" Without really thinking about it, she started to swing the pan blindly almost knocking it into Krillin's face.

"Don't be so harsh, Chi Chi." Krillin yelped hoping she would lay the pan down. "Goku is a great guy, he just doesn't know how to set his priorities straight at times. He did help save the world on numerous occasions which you have to give him credit for." _I just sit on the sidelines half the time feeling helpless. If only I had half of his power, if only I can pinch some of that energy. _Krillin let out a long sigh and turned his attention back to Chi Chi. "This a great gift he left you, we'll be there for you as well."

Trunks let out a whimper. Bulma had almost forgotten she left him in the other room because of how tired he was lately. She figured he was catching a small flu. "I will be right back. Let me go get Trunks settled." The other two nodded as she quickly got up and headed away.

"I never knew that about you, Krillin." This caught Krillin off guard since she switched topics so quickly. He had no idea anyone would honestly care. Krillin assisted Chi Chi to get settled on couch with him.

"Well, it is kind of hard watching your childhood friends grow up, settle down, and have a family. I mean, honestly, how many successful relationships have I had? The closest I have ever gotten was Marron. Kami knows where she is now... she is probably settled down with a family. Those could have been my kids!" Krillin clearly showed signs of frustration in his face. "I risked my life for Eighteen and I haven't seen her in weeks. Not even a 'hi, thanks for helping me'. It is not fair, it really isn't."

Chi Chi rested her head into the palm of her hand and let out a sigh. "Well, forget her then. She probably can't even have kids after all. Not that she would even think about it..."

Krillin seemed to copy Chi Chi's position and set his forehead into his palms. "She seems different, though. There is no way you can program fear into a machine like what she was expressing. I know that face when she was about to get absorbed by Cell. That was not a mechanical feature, even the greatest genious in the world --"

"Could." Bulma had come behind the two without much warning. She protectively held Trunks in the crook of her arm allowing him to stretch out and get comfy. "Dr. Gero was a genious, Krillin. Don't let his inventions fool you like that. You even heard it from the Dragon himself, he couldn't even turn her into a human." Bulma seemed to have a hint of disgust in her tone of voice. "Stay away from her Krillin; she is nothing but trouble. I don't want her hurting you."

"I don't think she would honestly lay a hand on us with Gohan around," Krillin said standing up. "She seemed like she was a different person out on the lookout."

"You mean robot?" Bulma said with a smirk. Krillin noticed she was starting to get some of Vegeta's traits which weren't exactly 'inviting'. "I wasn't talking about that. I was talking about emotionally she will scar you. How awkward would it to be with a mechanical creature anyways?"

"Didn't you even tell me that they were made of organtic substances, Bulma? Remember that we brought you the schematics and you told me yourself!" Krillin remembered that day all too well. Trunks and him had found the schematics for Seventeen which even Bulma was amazed to see the 'non-mechanical' side of them.

"No, I never said that."

He couldn't believe it, she was lying straight to his face. He had been obsessing over this girl for weeks. Anything that had to deal with him, he remembered better than the back if his own hand. "Yes, you did. I don't know what you are thinking, but I remember." He fiercely shot a glare at her and headed towards the door. "If you don't want me to be happy than I don't have to hear what you say. I am going to find her myself."

**Author's Notes: **Well, there you have it. A lying, perhaps jealous Bulma, an emotionally scarred Eighteen, an overwhelmed Chi Chi, and a love struck Krillin. Review if you like it so it will give me more motivation to finish the next chapter and feedback so I can rearrange it to your liking.

As I said in my profile, I was the designer for the K/18 Campaign website and I plan on starting it up again if I can get enough support. So, email me if you are interested.


	2. Consequence

**Disclaimer: **I do not own DB/Z/GT or have any plans/intentions to do so.

_Author's Notes: As you saw in the last chapter, I started to create a bit of harshness of Bulma towards Eighteen. This was intentional due to the face you don't ever see them communicating with each other through out the series. No, not counting DBGT... I actually don't even acknowledge the series whatsoever when writing. But, no worries, you will see why I did this and her intentions of doing so. I am a deep writer and everything will eventually mend together; just bare with me, okay?_

**Deliverance**

**Chapter Two - Consequence**

Weeks tediously went by without the slightest indication that Eighteen still existed amongst the Earth. What seemed like a pointless search only became more illogical by the minute. He had looked everywhere for the blonde hair, blue eyed beauty.

What had seemed like a lifelong friendship slowly diminished as the time went by as well. Bulma tried her so called 'reasoning' with him but it didn't do justice. Excuse after excuse of why he shouldn't be caught near her where aggravating him deeper and deeper. It made absolutely no sense to him, either. She was his friend and for the first time, she wasn't looking out for him. It felt like she was crushing his heart and soul.

He now lost two of his friends.

Would it even be worth it in the end? The thought remained in the back of mind that there could always be a chance that she still wanted nothing to with him and all of his efforts would be for absolutely nothing. His heart told him otherwise. This was an obstacle that he was going to have to learn to overcome; life's greatest challenges came from a single emotion.

Love.

Sighing, he slowly sagged down his chair while staring dawn at the calming waves carefully drifting upon the warm sand. The light crept through the window and glimmered upon his newly grown, raven hair. He decided to grow it out spontaneously the day he argued with Bulma. He wanted a change for the first time in his life; a renewed self as one may call it. He wanted to prove to the gang that he was no longer the 'pushover', bald monk. He was his own person, and was going to be strong. He wanted to not only show change emotionally, but through his physical characteristics.

He chuckled as his fingers dangled through the fine wisps of hair. His intentions were to prove to Eighteen that he was the strong fighter who stood bravely beside her while she was in a vulnerable state of being. Never did he feel so obligated to ensure the safety of a being. Of course, he knew that her power greatly exceeded him but when she went down, she was so lifeless and he was the only person willing to make that sacrifice to be there. When all other would turn away, he would be there...

To protect her.

"Oh, glad to see you're in for today, boy! Any luck?"

Startled, he snapped back to reality with the familiar voice of his former instructor. "Yes, master. I just needed a moment to myself for today." He straightened back up on the wooden chair and brushed his hands behind his head. "I just hope she is okay wherever she is. There is no one else out there to look after her."

Roshi decided to join him at the table, carefully tossing his new edition of 'Play Bunny' on the tabletop. He couldn't help but give out a chuckle. "My boy, I think she doesn't need any help. I can say for certain she can fight anyone off herself."

He let out a sigh and leaned back on the chair letting two of the legs mingle in the air gradually letting his eyelids close tight. "You didn't see her like I did, Master. I have seen it twice to be exact."

He remembered it all too well. The face she gave when she knew her life was endangered from evil creation known as Cell. The face when she was so vulnerable when Gohan happened to make him regurgitate her back out. He couldn't help but to smile to himself; the face she expressed while unconscious was the greatest gift that he would ever encompass. He got to see the real her; the vulnerable side.

"She needs someone there for her, I just know it." He opened his eyes to see his master already distracted by the array of adult entertainment flooding the pages before him. _'No point in trying to converse now, he'll be too distracted.' _He got up with a long sigh. "I am going out."

Roshi nodded, not letting an eye off the magazine. "Have fun!" he mumbled.

-//-

To her surprise, she was making it. Who would have known that humans have more than one house at a time? At the moment, she was taking residency in a so-called "winter home" tucked quietly away in the woods. She was extremely careful because she did not want to alert the others because of her intruding; one wrong move and they would be picking a fight with her. As much as she would have enjoyed that when with her brother, the thought disgusted her. In reality, she wanted nothing to do with picking fights with others. It seemed nothing more than childish games to her.

Cell changed her dramatically. She acknowledged that fighting she be saved when your life is threatened, not against others for no apparent reason. In her opinion, it was almost pointless.

She adjusted a little, allowing her back to stretch out a little. She was comfortably relaxing on the bed of the temporarily unoccupied house, staring curiously at the schematics. She had been trying to decipher it for weeks without a clue of what was on the paper. She was very literate, yes; genius, no. It puzzled her why Dr. Gero wouldn't have programmed all of the knowledge of the world into her. You would think that one of his own creations could at least make out a fragment of his own work.

It showed a drawing of her outline. On top of that, however, were many calculations, numbers.... it frustrated her every time she took a glance at it. "You would think that you would put down something in English when you draw up these damn things," she mumbled quietly to herself.

She knew even Krillin couldn't help her with this puzzle. Though, there was one person who could quite possibly know. Only problem is, she tried to kill, er, deactivate. Honestly, she would never want to see that woman again. If she could, she would love to knock the living daylight out of her.

It did comfort her, however, that she reduced her _man _down to a bloody pulp. The expression he gave that day was more than priceless. The agonizing yelp was hilarious and unforgettable. To this day it put a smirk on her face. If only she had the power to fight him again. He did assist Cell, after all. "Ugh, that whole family can burn."

Stretching again, she tossed the very abused piece of paper aside. Quite frankly, it was very boring in the house. She had talked to no one but herself for the past weeks; she had even lost count of how many days had drifted away. At first, she loved the seclusion, though she knew that she had to speak to someone about the diagram. The only people she knew to talk to was either her brother or the bald one.

None seemed reasonable at the time.

Slowly, she became intrigued with her thoughts. He had sparked an interest with her. Some nights, she would even think about him to help her peacefully sleep. The favors he did for her were unexpected due to the fact she was at first determined to eliminate Goku. It sometimes brought an unfamiliar warmth throughout her body.

Sinking into her thoughts, her eyes became heavy and soon she fell into a heavy, well needed sleep.

-//-

Krillin scouted everywhere. Normally he could spot someone in an instant. Unfortunately, Eighteen wasn't what you would call 'normal'. It was ridiculous how strong she could block her energy from being detected. Even Cell, who was at one time the strongest in the universe couldn't trace her. Though, this puzzled him to whether or not it was ki or artificial energy. She did not act like her comrade, Sixteen, at all. He was flowing with the artificial kind, yet his attacks acted nothing similar to the twins.

What would Cell achieve with absorbing artificial energy? It made absolutely no sense to him. He wanted answers, and he wanted them now. Bulma, becoming arrogant like her partner, would not help him out with this. It was a shame because it would make his mind games furiously fighting in his head come to a halt.

All of the sudden his neck hairs jolted straight up. He desperately looked around at his surroundings. Not too far away, someone was releasing an abnormally high energy flow. "What the Hell..." he whispered to himself. It wasn't Gohan; he was slammed with schoolwork the moment he came back plus he didn't think his mother would allow him to go anywhere so he could help her around the house. Piccolo was settled in with Dende...Goku was gone.

He visualized another Sayain. "Vegeta."

More than likelly, he was probably training like his usual self again. Krillin had always wondered how he fit playing the father role on top of his continuous training schedule. _"Maybe he's strong enough to feel her energy?" _The thought quickly implanted itself in his head.

He actually knew better than to ask Prince of Saiyans; he was getting desperate by the day. He would have asked Gohan a long time ago if he wouldn't feel guilty about ripping him away from his schoolwork. "Well, what's the worst that can happen? He could humiliate me and send me off my way or he would enjoy the challenge..maybe?"

Nodding, he flew over to what could possibly be the biggest mistake he ever did.

-//-

_Pain shot up her spine causing her softly convulse and whimper. "Quite... just calm down," came a voice in almost soothing tone._

_Where was she? Why could she barely move? Using every bit of energy she could collect, she lifted her head and peered through the strands of blonde to reveal a sickeningly familiar face. He was so close she could feel the warmth of his breath stick on her face. "What have you done to me?" she whimpered. "I will destr--"_

_The man gave out a large chuckle. "My girl! You are by far the best piece if work I have accomplished so far. You will be strong! Stronger than your brother... stronger than him..."_

_She moaned through agonizing pain. Tubes were running from every limb in a variety of color and size. She could see that were some were poorly inserted causing a stream of blood to run towards the floor. She was pressed up against the wall, shackled to let her lifeless, naked body hang. She was sore from head to toe and worn down. "You're a monster..." she barely whispered. _

_With a slight flick of his wrist he slapped her across her face with such force it violently shot her head to the side. "You are mistaken... one day the whole world will be in my favor. They will see how they can save lives potentially with this breed of technology." He let a smirk out while carefully observing her face letting his hand run down her cheek. "You certainly are beautiful." Carefully, he cupped his hand around her chin to make the almost lifeless figure face him. "You will make me very happy." He leaned forward while she squeezed eyes shut; gritting her teeth as tight possible. This did nothing because the malevolent being pinched her jawline forcing her to open her mouth just enough for his tongue to slip though her mouth._

_She felt a gush of warmth rush against her cold cheeks. Her eyes were beginning to water with such force she could barely see the figure in front of her. She had no intention to fight, rather, she wanted to run; flee away from the monster. She was not angered but frightened beyond belief. There was no one to help her now, no one to even care._

_-//-_

"You want me to find what?!" A familiar voice roared across the plains and into the mountains. Vegeta had been practicing since dawn until an annoying midget came to disrupt his exceeding process. "You have no business with the tin can!" Enraged, he hurled a concentrated ki ball towards a mountain resulting in fragmentation flying everywhere.

Krillin's chest sunk in, he knew it would have been better to leave him be. This was one individual that you did not want to interrupt. With a big gulp, he tried asking again. "Y-y-you see... she needs help, Vegeta. You know she has no money, food, shelter --"

"She's a mechanical piece!" he snarled. "The thing probably just needs a new set of batteries once in awhile." He smirked. "Maybe a tune up." The comment even impressed himself.

Krillin would not back down."I don't think so. I think she is much more than that. You know, she might even be like you and me." That comment did it. The rage in Vegeta's eyes became so fierce that even Krillin knew what was coming which caused him to fly away a couple of feet to get out of Vegeta's destructive path. "Don't take that offensively..." he said in a shaken voice.

It was already too late. A good punch to the head sent him flying onto the ground below knocking him out instantly. Vegeta just watched him fall down with intense velocity with his arms crossed over his chest. With a smirk he said, "Don't bother me with your personal matters if I can squish you like a bug," to himself.

This sparked an idea, however. What if he were to find the toaster and fight her himself? What if he could knock her out as he did with Krillin? This could be his one chance of revenge. No one would spoil his pride especially one made of a synthetic compound. _"The wench can't be too hard to find. This may turn out to be an interesting day after all," _he thought to himself. He spit towards the direction of Krillin and shouted, "I will make sure I give her a warm welcome to the clan!" With that, he flew off into the distance letting Krillin lay there lifelessly.

**Author's Notes: **Much of my appreciation goes out to those who reviewed my last chapter. It gave me the motivation to knock this one out without any trouble. Like I said with the last chapter, don't be so judgmental of the character reactions towards Eighteen/each other, especially that of Vegeta's. I PROMISE, it will all be clear at the end. :D


	3. Incompetence?

_**Author's Notes:**__ Been awhile, eh? Sorry, I was deployed in Iraq for awhile. People said that I would have plenty of free time… wrong, medics always have to work. -_-; Sooo, I am back state-side now, and I fully intend in kicking these stories off again. I appreciate everyone's reviews for the last chapter, it meant a lot. So, on to continuing the story of the dying K/18 community!_

Chapter 3 – Incompetence?

"No!" Promptly, the isolated woman jumped. What could have been the most agonizing experience she had ever endured laid upon her. Gasping, she let a free arm dry the cold sweat off of her face. Was she starting to imagine things? There would be no reason for Dr. Gero to program a scenario like that… perhaps malfunction? Perhaps, it would clear up the sudden surge of lust coming over her.

There was no reason to want belonging; her mission was to kill the most loved man on the planet. Ugh, why were so many thoughts going through her head at once? What the Hell was that dream? What the hell was with the schematics? Why was she thinking about Krillin? Whatever it may be, it was causing her to experience an excruciating headache. She carefully massaged her temples in attempt to alleviate the pain.

Perhaps another malfunction.

Groaning, she got up on her feet to cautiously gaze out the window. It was another sunny, uneventful day. The mountains lay marvelously in the background by the crowd of evergreens. Not a cloud in the sky. Though, something was a little out of place. She would stare out the window everyday to look at the remote mountains, but they seemed off.

Slanting her eyes, she attempted to focus to obtain a clearer image. Something was off, no doubt about it. It seemed as though someone took a chunk out of the mountain. But she would've heard it, wouldn't she? She'd be able to feel the surge of kai, right?

Where these deep sleeps affecting her perfect warrior skills? Was she growing weaker? She knew the Z Fighters have nearly tripled her maximum power, but was she getting worse. Eighteen sighed and backed away from the window to get a seat at the edge of her bed. "What the hell is happening to me?" she whispered to herself.

As if someone knew what she was thinking, a sudden beam of light filled the room. She stammered to her feet as the beam widened. Gasping, she realized instantly that the beam was strengthening in force. Without a chance to conceal her eyes, a surge of pain ripped through her body.

She blinked a few times to realize what exactly had happened. Whatever it was, it had knocked her down into a supine position outside of the cabin she had been taking refuge in for weeks. Whimpering, she let her head lay back in attempt to look at the sky which watched over her, day by day.

Her vision was hazy, her heart was hammering away, and her head felt as if it were splitting in two. She let out a slight snivel. She couldn't move, the blinding light had quite literally knocked her off her own two feet.

"Get up!" came a demanding voice. "Fight like the stupid wench you are."

"Vegeta?" Was she hearing right? Was that seriously the Prince of Sayians voice? "Vegeta, is that your annoying trap I hear?" she was hurt, but her feelings remained the same for him. Her vision refocused to some extent to reveal a very pleased man with his arms crossed, suspended in midair.

Yep, of all people, it surely was him. Damn.

"You're not in a position to talk, scrap face. Look at you, you're pathetic. Now, do as I say! Get up!"

Eighteen let out another groan as she slowly flipped to her side and then stomach. Carefully, she allowed herself to push off the ground. It was a struggle, but she managed to get eye level with the proud prince. With slanting eyes, she gave an appearance of disgust. "What do you want?" Her voice was feeble. Whoever knew he'd get strong enough to defeat her with a single blast.

He let a smirk run across his face and couldn't help but to snicker a bit. "Goku's dead, as you are aware. I will never get the chance to fight him again; he's defeated me in the past. How am I ever to prove my power against him?"

"What does this have to do with me?" she choked. "I left all of you alone, I have done nothing!"

He gathered some energy. In result, the golden glow around him grew strong. The force was so strong, Eighteen had to squint her eyes to shield them against the powerful gusts.

"Goku defeated me, yes. Then there is you…" He quickly snapped into his typical fighter's stance. "I can finally show you what real power feels like. Never will I fall to a cowardly woman again!" He launched himself forward. Eighteen tried to dodge his raging fist, but it only resulted in her getting a perfect whack to the jaw. The impact was so hard; it made her perfectly blue eyes produce a clear stream which traced down her face.

Eighteen quickly protected her newly wounded area with a cuff of her palm. The area was warm from the blood he spilled from her. "Stop, I don't want to fight!" she sounded desperate. Eighteen hated to show a weaker side, however, she was in no position to fight.

He sped behind her to knee her perfectly in her lower back. "You didn't show me mercy, you wench!" He grasped his hands together above his head to deliver a devastating blow to the head causing her to fall quickly to the earth below her. The impact by any means was not soft.

Again, Vegeta followed her down. With his dark glare, he stared down at what he believed was one of most pathetic characteristics of a warrior. She was in the fetal position, slightly shaking from the pain she had just endured. "Get up."

No response. Eighteen just laid there as if he didn't exist.

"I said, get up!" he gritted his teeth in resentment.

Nothing.

"You will not ignore my wishes, woman!" He drew his leg back to make sure she was delivered a devastating blow to her left arm; almost identical to her finishing move on himself.

"_She disgusts me. Look at her! What kind of warrior would make that much of a fool of themselves? That is why the fighting should be let up to the men and perhaps, a toaster makes a sorry excuse for a fighter…PATHETIC!"_

He continued to glance at her to see if there was any chance of her getting up. She groaned and quivered quite a bit, but no returning to any kind of fight; despite how short it was.

Something caught his eye; a piece of paper that lay ever so slightly outside her pants' pocket. He kneeled down and grabbed it, not bothering to even interpret or finding its purpose. "See you in Hell, Android," he spat before taking a final glance at her to fly off into the distance. "I'd watch my back if I were you."

She opened an eye ever so slightly to see Vegeta fly off. The paper she held close to her every day was now gone. It may have been her last chance of figuring out her cloudy life which laid deeply into the past. "c-c-…come back," she begged but was not nearly audible enough to catch the young prince's attention. "Come back." The world around her faded into a hazy fog, growing darker by the second. The pleasant sounds of the innocent birds became a low groan. "Co-" With a single, productive cough of bloody sputum, she was out.

-/-

"Ugh, I hate him!" Krillin spat as he attempted to brush himself off the debris. "Seriously, a blow to the ground due to a favor being asked? Man, I wish Goku were here, he'd understand." He looked up to see if there was any sign of the arrogant Vegeta. The skies were fortunately clear as they would ever be. Shades of blue were luminous and overwhelming.

"Eighteen had one thing right, I am glad she shut him up for awhile. Now he knows what it's like to be on the other end of the stick." Thinking about the event made him smile for a moment. It was that event which led him and Eighteen to an awkward attraction to one another. Sure, it might have been a tease he would always think to himself. _"But something changed in her eyes from that moment on. It was like she remembered she had a heart. Or maybe I am just too love struck to realize what's going on… can't hurt to try, right?" _ Without reaizing it, he gently massaged the once kissed cheek.

"It was truly magical," he mumbled to himself. "If only if I could talk to her one more time."

He had been so sidetracked by Vegeta, he had almost forgot his personal quest in finding her. It was tricky, she suppressed her power to the point to where people didn't think she possessed any kai. He quickly understood that she in fact had some human in her. Nothing could be designed to make a face like that. She wasn't the stone cold, heartless killer in which everyone witnessed. Her barrier was down, and she shuttered in fear.

He looked close enough into her eyes the day he revealed the remote that he could see they were shrouded with a layer of tears. Unfortunately, he was the only to see this. Therefore, none of his so called "friends" would side with him.

It never made much sense to him, either. They had accepted others into the gang without a problem; Vegeta, Piccolo… sheesh, You'd think they'd cut a girl a break? She hasn't even killed anyone! Whatever the case may be, he didn't care for it. If they were going to judge people superficially, that's fine, he didn't care.

"But what if she doesn't like me?" He thought. "This whole ordeal can be for nothing…" _GULP._

"Hey, baldy!"

Krillin spontaneously jumped from his train of thoughts to see a very familiar face. "Vegeta, I don't want another fistful… if you know what I mean…." He shielded his face in anticipation for another beating, but he did none of the sort.

"Your battery operated toy is over there." He smirked. "She seems a little lethargic." His grin grew wider as he heard himself talk. "You might want to do a annual maintenance check on her."

"_Really? The jokes are getting sourer by the minute. Yes, I get it, she's an android! Or…maybe…."_

"Wait, what?" As though he just realized what he had announced. Was she hurt? Was she in pain? HE FOUND HER? "Vegeta, where is she?" he staggered.

"About three feet into the ground. Don't worry, that is where old toys belong."

"_That didn't even make sense… putting toys in the ground? Wait…"_

"No, come on Vegeta, where is she?"

He smirked and spit on the ground. "Really, what drives you to love something that isn't real? She ruined us and will ruin your pathetic little life. She stripped us of ours, what is stopping her from continuing?"

"…" Krillin couldn't help but to blush a little in cheeks and tips of his ears. In one way he was angry and in another, he felt like if he could, he would rip the Saiyan's head off in an instant. That whole family hated her, he concluded. Bulma, him, Mirai Trunks… they hated her so much yet they accepted the one person that was about to rip apart the whole planet into their home as a fatherly figure. Well, he wasn't so sure about _fatherly, _but, whatever they viewed him as… he was accepted.

"She dropped this," he mumbled as he tossed him a nicely folded piece of discarded paper. "Now, if you have nothing better to do, I suggest you scram."

Without second thought, Krillin picked up the thrown paper and flew away as fast as he could. One punch from Vegeta was all he could handle in one day. He was sure the headache would last him at least until the night. "Thanks, I guess?" He could never figure out the man, but he knew for sure that she was around here somewhere. Just the thought of it made his heart sink into his stomach.

-/-

"Man! Why does she have the freakin' technology to suppress her kai so well?" Krillin said aloud to himself as he scanned the forest below. "I swear, I must have gone over this a thousand times already!" He was getting frustrated and more worried about her by the minute.

He stopped for a moment to visualize his surroundings once again. Tree after tree seemed to be the same. He would have detected her by now if she was a _normal _human being; this task was about as equivalent as finding a needle in a haystack.

"Think Krillin, think. Vegeta must have messed with her, so there should be some evidence of destroyed landscaping somewhere…" He squinted to see if there were any signs of imperfections amongst the perfectly grown ferns below him.

Nothing.

The only thing he had noticed which a little out of place was the mountains that lay in the distance. He knew very well that Vegeta had trained here often, so it would be hard to decipher any new imperfections.

"Well, at least it is a shot, right?" He asked himself as he powered up slightly. "She's got to be here!"

Just as he thought to himself of where she could be, something ever slightly caught his eye. He powered back down to get a closer glimpse of the distraction that lay before him. Smoke, not too much, but just enough to catch his attention. "Maybe?"

He flew over there as if it was life or death.

"Eighteen?"

_**Author's Notes:**__ Again, I am sorry about the long delay. I promise, I have the next couple of chapters written already for when you get the chance to read/review. Now, I don't take reviewing for self pleasure, I enjoy it in attempt to fix my upcoming chapters if you feel something was wrong or if you like it the way it was. Again, thank you for reviewing the last chapter, it meant a lot. Also, I am writing other stories that you can check out as well!_


	4. Restlessness

**Author's Notes: **Man, I am ecstatic from all of the reviews this story has started to bring in! Here I thought that the two had no fans left. You've proven me wrong, everyone! Thank you so much!

**Chapter 4 **

_Restlessness_

"_Give me your hand, my dear" he requested. "I can fix you up in a matter of no time."_

_She grunted and sought after to refuse. Blood trickled down her face and poured itself ever so slightly into her mouth. She could smell and taste the copper-metallic liquid expelling itself from underneath her. Pavement dug into her cheekbone as the passing cars from behind her drove by as if oblivious to the accident beside them._

"_Who are you?" She mumbled. _

"_Just call me Gero. I am a doctor; I can help you get fixed up in no time." He knelt down beside her to brush off some of the sticky strands of hair off her face. "You were hurt badly. You should be lucky you are still breathing the air around you after a crash like that."_

_She tried squinting to get a better visualization of the kind gentlemen. "What happened?"_

"_You lost control of your bike from the looks of it. Here, let me help you up." He picked her up from underneath her arms and managed to get her on her shaky legs. She unfortunately couldn't hold herself up after a crash like that, so she leaned over mysterious figure, pressing her damaged body onto his side._

"_Careful now, we don't want any more falls," he ordered as he tried to get her composure back. _

"_Don't bring me to the hospital…it's too risky," she weakly begged as she held a hand over her temple to control her throbbing migraine. "I can't let anyone know where I am."_

"_Oh, really?" He smirked. "Lucky for you, I can help you without risking such matters." _

_She grunted and focused her crystal blue eyes into his own, dark set. A determined smirk crept onto him as massaged her fractured arm. "No one will know a thing. Here, come with me."_

_-/-_

Immediately, Eighteen turned to the side of the bed and emptied her stomach on to the floor below her. Her head felt as though it was being split in two. On top of that, where the hell was she? "What is going on here? Where the fuck am I?" She mumbled to herself, licking her dry, bitter lips.

Catching her breath from the aftermath of the vomit, she studied her surroundings. A simple dresser lay to the right of her, a night stand with a photo of on it laid to the left of her, and outside revealed a beautiful sunrise reflecting the waves of the ocean as it came forth.

She crawled her way over towards the night stand that stood next to the bed and saw what looked like a younger Krillin with Goku. The two figures made funny faces towards the camera and Krillin looked as though he was giving Goku rabbit ears. She couldn't help but gaze at the once innocent child. From the look upon his face, it seemed as though he had not a single worry in the world.

She placed the photo down carefully back into its original spot and attempted to get up to see what she was ready to face. The encounter with Vegeta, quite frankly, sucked. What would she go up against now? Did they kidnap her to question her of the event? Where they going to accuse her of attacking him?

Her train of thought was quickly broken as the putrid smell of the vomit still sitting stagnant on the floor lingered below her nostrils. She ran over to the dresser to grab whatever looked large enough to conceal it, in this case, a large, red t-shirt, and threw it on top of it.

"_I have to get out of here, now."_

Eighteen silently ran over to the bedroom door. She was careful when opening it, hoping not to notify anyone of her orientation. She poked her head out through the door to reveal a quiet hallway. From what she could see, there were about three other potential occupants as she counted the doors. Peacefully, she made her way down the all and towards the stairs. The only noise which could be heard was her bare feet peeling off the hard wood with every step.

The first step creaked. Quickly, she turned her head to see if anyone had noticed. No one. She remained the only one in the hallway miraculously. Second step; creeeeeeak. She winced; this was not going in her favor. Somehow, she managed to not disturb anyone and made it down the last step.

"Hey, Eighteen! How are you feeling?"

Eighteen's head bolted up from the familiar voice. She looked towards the right to reveal a very happy Krillin. He looked as though he was still in his pajama's which were cloaked by a "Kiss the Cook" apron. He was definitely not bald anymore, either. Something she had failed to realize.

"What's going on here?" She demanded getting into a defensive stance. The last thing she could remember was a horrible battle between her and Vegeta which definitely did not end up in her favor this time. "Where am I and how did I get here?"

"Here, take a seat. I will explain everything to you once I finish this meal. How is your stomach feeling by the way? You managed to throw up all over me on the ride here," he stated as he looked down at his now clean shirt. "Did you remember that?"

She quickly grabbed herself a bar stool and sat down. "No," she replied leaning closer to find out more. "I don't seem to remember any of that." She rubbed her aching temple once more. "The last thing I remember… well, never mind." She took a minute to groan. She was much too embarrassed to reveal that she had her butt kicked by the prince of spandex.

"Here, take this." To her surprise, he handed her a plate full of assorted fruits, pancakes, and sausage. Not really having the healthiest of diet in the past weeks, her mouth felt as though it were swimming in saliva as the aroma filled her nostrils.

"_Wait. Why the hell is he trying to help ME?"_

She shot him an angry glare. "Why are you doing this?" She carefully pushed the plate aside, despite what her stomach had told her. "I tried to kill you friend, Goku. I helped Cell reach his final transformation! Why is it that you still insist on helping me?"

This took Krillin back a couple of steps. He swallowed hard before continuing. "Well, everyone deserves a second chance. It wasn't your choice that you were forced to become who you are now. From the looks of it, you've already pulled away from the deadly mindset." He managed to slip in a smile. "You had the chance to kill all of us, and you didn't." He pushed the plate towards her again. "Here, eat up. It looks like you need it."

She thought about this for a second. Unlike Vegeta, he was very well content in the face that she had changed. It felt as though a sudden flutter took over her stomach while a chill ripped down her back. She stared at him through the corner of her eye while her face lay in front of the table before her. "So, you don't hate me?"

"Of course not! I wouldn't have taken you in if I had thought otherwise. Here, eat up," he asked for the final time. She eyed the food in front of her, eyed him back to reveal a goofy smile on his face, and eyed the food once more. She could no longer resist; she grabbed a fork and forcefully ate the food until the plate was clean despite her little emesis episode before.

"I take it you like it?" Krillin had asked as he slowly started to eat away at his own plate. He had never seen a powerful female fighter before, so her appetite naturally astonished him. It reminded him of his Saiyan friends. "Geeze." He mumbled, taking another bite.

The food felt amazing at it traveled down her vacant esophagus. It was almost a feeling of euphoria as she felt her stomach becoming full. "Than—thanks," she stated, a little out of breath from the vigorous attack on her food.

"You're welcome."

A smile crept up without warning, something she rarely did. Krillin immediately noticed in which he swore his heart stopped for a second. Her eyes were no longer cold; rather, they were veiled in warmth. "Wow."

"Huh?"

"Well, er…, don't take this wrong way or anything, but you should smile more often. You have a beautiful smile!"

"And what do we have here?"

"_Great. Good timing master. Way to kill the mood."_

Master Roshi took off his sunglasses for a moment to reveal a stunned face in front of him. His eyes melted at the sight of the confused Android. "Man, Krillin, can I have a turn after you?"

Eighteen growled a bit. So, is that what this is about? Who gets dibs on a sex toy? "I get it, now." She stated calmly. "This isn't about an act of kindness, is it?" She shot both Krillin and his instructor a cold glare. "Is that what this is really about?"

"No, Eighteen! You don't understand! Please forgive my master! He gets excited every time a female is over!" He ran towards her as she made her way to the stairwell. Bravely, he grabbed her arm to turn her around. "Listen, I don't want that. I just want to be friends."

She snorted. "How do I trust you?"

"Well, that is up to you. I am not here to hurt you; I just want to help you out. You took quite a beating in the woods and I couldn't just leave you there." He let go of her arm before she decided to punch him for it. "Please, give me a chance."

Her glare softened up a bit. "Fine," she said, lowering her arms down.

"So, you'll stay? Krillin's face beamed with delightedness.

"I suppose so," she replied facing the stairs. She shot him a look one more time. "On one condition."

"Yeah?"

"Teach me that one move of yours." She ascended up the stairs leaving Krillin in his one spot, shaking from head to toe. "She'll stay?" A smile that was large, it almost reached ear to ear. "She said she'll stay!"

"Whoooo!" came a rather annoying voice from the kitchen. "Hot mama's here to stay!"

-/-

Bulma vigorously tapped her foot in anticipation as she watched the second hand slowly ascend clockwise on her watch. "Seriously? Where are you now?"

Another five minutes went by, nothing.

"Where the hell is he?" she demanded as she walked towards the phone. She decided to give one of her only good friends a phone call to see if maybe she had any idea. "Come on Chi Chi, pick up…"

"Hello?"

"Chi Chi! It's Bulma. Hey, listen. Vegeta has been acting very peculiar lately, do you know what's up? I mean, I know I should know my own man. But, you know, that whole Saiyan thing."

"Hmm, nothing out of the ordinary here, Bulma. Gohan is really into his studies now which I am MORE than grateful for, Goten is growing quickly…"

"Goten?"

"Oh yeah! I decided to name HIM Goten. I think it fits quite nicely."

Bulma took a second to herself. When exactly was the last time she saw her and the gang? Has it really been that long? "How far along are you now?" She bit her lip. In all honesty, she felt kind of like a jerk for calling her out of the blue with her own problem when she has clearly been in her own little world for the past couple of months.

"Oh, hitting five months!" From the enthusiasm in her voice, she knew it had been awhile since she last spoken to lonesome widow. It seemed as if it were yesterday when she broken the news the somewhat surprised group. "I am getting close."

"Huh, that's awesome. Spoken to Krillin lately? I haven't heard from him since we kind of were a little harsh towards him at your place." She asked as she switched the receiver to her other shoulder.

"Krillin? No, I don't think even Gohan has been around him. I can ask… well, if you really want, I can have him break his studies for just one day to see how he is holding up. I am sure the poor guy has been miserable. Not a single phone call in three months? No visit?"

"Yeah, that would be good. Well, let me get back to my now cold dinner and wait for Vegeta. It was nice talking to you. I will make sure we meet up at least once before the baby is born."

"Sounds good! Bye."

-/-

"Kame…" The young figure's aura illuminated the air around him as water started to rise in the distance, catching the energy waves he expelled. Eighteen watched carefully at the human's technique very carefully from the rooftop.

"Hame…" She rested her head on her kneecap to focus on the technique a little more. She quickly recognized the signature move which seemed to be a favorite amongst the Z fighters.

"The infamous Kamehaha," she muttered to herself. From her tone of voice, she clearly had no interest.

"HA!" Krillin screamed as let the blue beam soar across the water's top. Waves instantly shot up to make room for the speeding beam. He panted as he watched it fly into the distance. Grinning, he took a moment to have a wave of achievement rush over him. Ever since the Cell Games, his attacks grew a little stronger every day. Today was no exception to the trend.

"Hmph," Eighteen grunted. Unlike Krillin, she was hardly impressed.

"You like it?" Krillin shouted to Eighteen who still remained with her chin up against her knee cap.

"No, not really."

He let out a sigh and flew back onto the roof, landing only two feet away from her. He was still a little out of breath from the sudden energy surge he exerted. "Really? Why not? What's wrong with it?" He frowned, she looked so uninterested as she sat there.

"Never liked that move," she simply replied. She let an arm slip between her kneecap and chin to give herself a more comforting support.

"What? Why not?" He took a seat beside her in attempt to grab her attention. "That was the move to beat Cell! The Saiyans are amazing with the technique! It is our favorite move!"

"So? It may be strong, but it takes much too long to power up. What if your opponent has more agility than you? It would render the move completely useless." Her eyes shifted to his. She smirked to see the perspiration running down his face. "And from the looks of it, if it missed, you're out of the fight already."

"Huh?" He took a second to wipe off the sweat from his forehead. Krillin studied the back of hand and looked back into her eyes.

She smirked again and focused her attention back onto the sea. "A move like that simply is not valuable to us "non-Saiyans." They are slow and bulky, you need to reposition your style to be fast and agile. Tire them out while you reserve your energy and then go for the kill."

Krillin thought about this for a second. She did have a point. Goku's, Gohan's, and Vegeta's signature attacks all required preparation. If he did focus himself more on agility, he could avoid them and save his energy from when they hit the point of fatigue. "Huh, I get it. Kind of like what you did to Vegeta-"

"Vegeta? Please, don't bring him up right now."

He had almost forgotten the very reason while she was staying there. Vegeta had shown her no mercy that day, even agility didn't seem to help her win that fight. "Sorry," he replied. Immediately, he tried switching the subject. "Well, if the Kamahamaha wave wasn't the move you wanted to learn, then what was it?  
A smile crept up across her face which she followed by quickly getting up. She thought he had forgotten her proposal into staying at the isolated island. "I want to learn the Kienzan Disc technique. That move certainly shows some usefulness."

He followed her up. "Yeah, tell me about it. It definitely helps in the tail department." Krillin chuckled when the memories started to flood his head. Eighteen merely cocked an eyebrow not understanding anything he just said.

"Tail department…?

"Ha, long story. Here, jump down on the beach with me. This move isn't so pretty if you mess it up. Master Roshi would kill me if I destroyed his house."

Eighteen replied with a sigh of disgust as she followed him to the sand below. "You know, I really cannot stand the old bastard. I have been here what? Three months? He must have attempted to grab my ass a dozen times, call me vulgar names every day, and on top of that…" She whipped around and let out a slight growl as she faced Krillin. "He stole my underwear."

Krillin could see the seriousness in her eyes and but couldn't help but laugh. He knew he was probably going to get knocked to the ground about it, but her obliviousness to the subject was more than "cute" in his eyes.

"What? What's so funny, Krillin?" She demanded.

"It's nothing," he replied calming down his laughter. "It's just that, you never grew up around him. We all got to experience his perverted ways, so in a way, we have become a little numb to the subject." Eighteen did not buy it; she just stood there with her arms crossed. "Aw, lighten up Eighteen. Tell you what, if he comes near you again I will personally seek to it that he won't have feeling left in his cheek." He chuckled a bit more. "Is that okay?"

"Fine."

"Alrighty, then. Ready for your first lesson?"

"I am sure it will only take one lesson," she replied reassuringly.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Eighteen. It took me awhile to master the technique. It involves a lot more focus than your normal ki blast."

"We'll just see about that, then." A look of determination swept across her face as she rolled up her shirt in preparation to begin the lesson. "I am a very quick learner, Krillin."

"Well, here goes nothing," he moaned to himself. "Alright, first you want to put your hand like so." He moved his hand upwards while having his palm face the skies above him. "Next you want to-"

"Krillin! Get on with it. Here, tell you what, just perform the technique and I will copy it."

"…it's not that easy." He quickly changed his mind when he looked at the eyes she had which shouted in determination. She looked tough and easily gave off the vibe of a killer. Krillin gulped and proceeded with the technique. "Kienzan…." He shot an arm above him and let the waves of energy pour into his palm. Once enough was gathered, he flattened the orb and swung his arm to the ocean. "Disc!"

Eighteen's pupils watched the disc swivel out into the distance. She smirked and mimicked Krillin's pose. "Doesn't seem so hard, though I never could understand the reasoning for calling out the name of the attack. Kind of a dead giveaway to the opponent and it just sounds stupid."

"Heh…er…."

"Watch this. Huaah!" She let the ball form in her hand, however, unlike Krillin's attempt, the ball quickly escaped and flew up towards the sky above her, barely dodging a flock of passing seagulls. As if they were in sync, the birds let out a loud screech and quickly dispersed. Both of them watched it as it disappeared out of their sight. The two stood like that in what seemed like an eternity of silence.

"Uh…" Krillin didn't know exactly how to break the silence. He could feel his chest contacting; wanting to let out the biggest laugh he had in awhile. Though, at the same time, he didn't want an uncertain death. He pressed his lips together hard to control it as he continued to stare up at the sky.

"Heh…heh." Krillin quickly whipped his head towards Eighteen. It was her who was laughing. She as well was trying to hold her laughter back. She even snorted at her own self.

"Oh, it's not that bad, Eighteen-"

She squatted with a hand over her mouth trying to hold back her facial expression. As Krillin leaned down beside her, he noticed tears brimming her closed eyes.

"Uhm?"

She couldn't hold it anymore. She let her back fall to the warm sand below her and covered her face to suppress the laughter. Krillin knelt beside her with a troublesome look. "Are you okay…?" He smiled, to his surprise; she was publically showing emotion with him once again.

She uncovered her face and looked back up with a smile. "I need to learn not to be so arrogant." She replied calmly as she wiped away some her tears. "I guess I don't have it."

Krillin picked up a feather that fell in between him and placed it on her forehead. "See? You almost had dinner picked out and ready."

She couldn't help but to snicker at the remark. Eighteen picked up the feather and examined it. "Hmm, what a shame."

-/-

"Vegeta, can you please pass some of the rice?"

He replied in a grunt as he continued to devour the plate in front of him.

"Ugh, come on Vegeta. At least show some manners. What the hell has been up with you lately?" Bulma replied in disgust as she stood up to grab the bowl of rice herself. "I mean, seriously, what's been the deal lately?"

As if Trunks was annoyed with his father as well, he let out a whimper. He grabbed the baby-sized portions in front of him and dropped them to the side of himself. He tightened his chubby fists and let out a shriek of disgust. It was enough to finally catch Vegeta's attention.

"Can you shut that thing up?" He asked in anger with his mouth half-full.

"Ugh." Bulma quickly refocused her attention at the toddler in front of her. "That thing happens to be your own flesh and blood, Vegeta. You have been having a serious attitude problem lately and I definitely do not approve of it."

"What is it to you, woman?"

She cooed the toddler in the crook of her arm and gently rocked him back and forth as he settled down. She reached down and grabbed his pacifier from the table which he immediately took in. "You've been acting like a real prick lately. You're never home, you're always training, and you've been not only showing me disrespect, but your own flesh and blood as well."

"Like I said." He jumped up from his chair and proceeded out of the dining room. "What is it to you?"

"Vegeta, stop it. Stop it right now." It didn't stop him. Before she knew it, he was out of her sight and down the hallway. "Well, what is it? What is bothering you so much." She sighed to look at the now half asleep child in her arms. "Daddy is being mean, huh Trunks?" He just stared back at her with heavy eyes. "Come on, baby. Let's get you to bed."

-/-

PLEAAAAASE REVIEW! KTHXBYE


	5. Differences

**Deliverance  
Chapter 5 - Differences**

"_Ugh, that Vegeta. I hope Krillin doesn't mind me blowing off some steam at his place."_ Her heart was still racing from the fight they had engaged in only moments earlier. _"He's acting like him old self; I thought we were past that."_

She sighed to herself, peeking over her shoulder at her almost toddler passed out in the passenger's seat. "At least you can rest, baby."

Gracefully, the aircraft grazed over the gentle waves leaving a trail of risen water following them. Sea gulls dispersed from their flocks to allow for the shuttle to continue forth towards the isolated island. It was approaching noon so the sun peaked out at its highest.

Bulma contemplated whether to call the former monk upon arrival, but decided against it. She wanted to surprise him after not seeing him after months of separation. It was true, she was mad at him for a little bit, but all has changed since. She was certain that he left a certain blonde android alone and would most likely enjoy her company.

Near the horizon, shingles from a familiar roof came into sight. She couldn't help but let a smile creep up on her cheek recognizing her once favorite hangout area. "Hmm, the Kame house."

-/-

A pair of icy blue eyes slanted upon the approach of the hovercraft. Eighteen was hanging on the roof outside her window to catch some air. She squatted down in anticipation of the shuttle trying to stay out of sight.

A blue haired woman securely holding a lavender hair child exited the vehicle. Eighteen couldn't help but to let an almost silent snarl escape her lips. "Bulma…" She whispered to herself.

She turned her sight to the front door and saw Krillin coming out to greet his old friend. She was curious of her arrival, even more so to the reaction of Krillin. She hated the entire family and even more so, hated Krillin's friendship with him. A cinch of jealousy, perhaps?

She would just have to stay hidden and focus on their conversation. Who knows if they were talking about her, and even so, what did they have as far as feelings for her.

Not that she cared, anyways. No, she didn't care at all.

"Long time no see, Bulma. How have you been?" Krillin grinned and gave her a quick friendly hug. Sure, they had fought only months ago, but it was still nice to see old company.

"Been better, honestly. Vegeta has been a pain in my ass, but what's new?" She laughed at herself. She knew very well the others knew of Vegeta's unique, cocky attitude. "He's been training non-stop and completely blowing Trunks and I off. It's like Cell was never defeated or something." She rolled her eyes. "Honestly, the only threat we have left on the world is if the Androids decided to take their revenge. If that happened, I could just build _another_ controller!"

Two blonde brows pressed up against a pair of eyes. Eighteen could feel the hair on her neck slowly rising. Never has she felt hate this strong in her heart since the arrival of Cell and the absorption of her brother. "Say something, Krillin!" She demanded to herself.

Krillin nervously scratched the back of his head. _"Should I tell her?" _He sighed. He was certain she wasn't going to be back for awhile, anyways. "Well, here, come inside. I just brewed some coffee."

"Dammit, Krillin," Eighteen growled. She ran back towards her window and jumped back into her room. Now she really wanted to learn that move Krillin had been patiently teaching her for the past several weeks. The thought of Bulma's head flying off brought forth a veil of happiness.

Mentally, of course.

Little Trunks giggled in excitement. Bulma looked down at her squirming child. "I think Trunks wants a cup too. Though, I think he wants to substitute the creamer for breast milk!"

"I am sure he would!"

-/-

Vegeta let a fist slam into the ground causing the dirt below him to proceed with the 'domino' effect. "Where the Hell is it!" Not expecting an answer, he sent a gold energy ray across the forest, annihilating any form of life in its path. Evergreens exploded leaving only pine needles to gracefully reach down back towards the Earth's floor.

"The bastard has to be around here somewhere!"He concluded. He let his hidden power explode before himself, revealing a very angry Super Saiyan. The aura alone picked up surrounding dirt, rock, and debris. "You will not make a fool of me, this time!" Another ray formed, this time catching a nearby hill.

His green orbs shot in every direction, scouting the very familiar training spot. If it was up to him, he would simply destroy the whole forest. Bulma, however, would once again threaten him of his favorite 'toy' by shutting it down. Not that it mattered at this point since matters were much more important at the given moment.

He blamed himself for simply going soft towards the Earthling.

"Come out and play, I know you are out there!" He screamed into the horizon. It seemed as though even the trees quivered with the harshness of his tone. He was determined, and would make sure he would spot his new threat.

Honestly, he was almost overwhelmed with excitement.

He grinned to himself. "So be it, I will be waiting for you when you change your mind." Chuckling to himself, he let his energy fall revealing the once black spiky hair. He focused his attention to the direction of Capsule Corporation. "When the time is right, I will be waiting." With that, he flew off towards home. Perhaps his mate cooked him a fresh lunch by now.

-/-

"Sugar, Bulma?"

Bulma rubbed her warm nose against her son's causing him to burst out with laughter. She grinned towards the reaction and instantly felt all aggression towards her warrior husband dissipate. "Yes please! Can you put in a little extra? I need the rush right now."

"No problem."

Eighteen opened her bedroom door ever so slightly and stuck her head out to listen for the conversation that was taking place downstairs. She really wished she could kill the woman. It was as though her killer instinct was returning. She could even feel her biceps tense up in anticipation for a fight.

"So, how have you been doing, Bulma? Did you want to talk about what happened with, you know, Vegeta." Krillin handed her the cup carefully, trying not to spill the hot liquid over the child's head.

"Well, he is just never home anymore. I have no idea what he is doing. The only time he comes home is for food. He barely acknowledges he has a son! What is he to do growing up without a father!"

"I am sure he couldn't be worse off than Chi Chi's child. He's never going to even see Goku." He took a sip from the warm porcelain. "I mean, I don't think Goku even knows in the otherworld that she is carrying his child."

"Was carrying," Bulma interrupted.

Krillin's eyes grew wide and he nearly spit out the contents from the mug. "What? She delivered already? How? It seems as though it was only yesterday that she broke the news!"

In response, Bulma simply shook her head side to side. "We haven't heard from you for months, Krillin. Seriously, between you and Vegeta, I want to know what is going on." Even Trunks gave in his two cents when she started to whimper.

"Wow! What is it? A boy? A girl? What's his name? HER name?" Krillin barely inhaled a gasp of air in between sentences. Memories of his old friend flooded his brain with the addition of a new child.

Bulma set her son down on the floor to allow him to crawl around. Out of natural instinct, he secretly crawled towards the stairs. Heights and sharp objects always grabbed the toddler's attention despite his mother's wishes.

"_His _name is Goten. He looks too much like Goku. I want to cry every time I see him."

"Oh wow, I need to see them. I can't wait to meet the little guy." He sank back in the sofa and continued to empty the contents of the mug into his stomach. "Man, I am jealous of you guys. It must be so much fun to be a parent. One day I will have a family."

Eighteen, with a stealth-like motion, made it to the edge of the stairwell to listen in further. She caught the last sentence and it made her absolutely want to empty out her stomach. "A family? What is he doing with me, then?"

She squatted down so she wasn't as visible and continued to listen into the conversation. A third voice decided to join. More so, a third chuckle joined in. "Oh man, this is definitely going on my wall, tonight." A feint flash made it through the hallway, just catching Eighteen when she instinctively spun around to see the threat.

A man and pig had a smug grin on their face and was each holding up a camera. "You've got to be kidding me."

She stood up, crossed her arms, and raised an eyebrow. "How many times have I told you sick perverts to leave me the Hell alone?" Her eyes shot back in forth between the two who couldn't seem to wipe that annoying smile off their face. "How many?" she reinstated.

They both ran to retreat into their room. Not that a closed door would stop a deadly fighter. Though, before they could even open the door knob, she teleported in front of them, grabbing the pig by his neck, and the retired master by his goatee.

She pulled both of them close to her so she could make direct eye contact with both of them. "I swear to God, the next time I catch you taking a picture of my ass, stealing my underwear, or taking notes of my breasts, I will bury you so deep into the ground that even your Saiyan buddies wouldn't be able to even dig you out."

Despite her tone, Master Roshi took advantage of the situation and carefully directed his hand toward her left breast. Eighteen noticed the motion right away and tightened her grip. "I ASKED, am I clear?"

He hesitantly nodded.

"Good, now go back into your room and enjoy those filthy magazines of yours. I could care less what you do, just don't put me into your little fantasy world." She loosened her grip causing them both to stand up straight and at attention.

She walked back towards the edge of the stairs and took one final peek over her shoulder to see a mortified group of, well, men? "Remember, the next time I catch you, I will kill you," Eighteen simply stated focusing her attention back to the group downstairs.

All you could hear was a shuffle of feet against the floor boards. "_Eighteen one, the perverts zero."_

Trunks clapped his chubby hands together on the arrival of Eighteen. Her eyes widened and immediately she pressed her back against the wall to conceal herself from the child. "Shit."

"Trunks, what are you doing? Get back here!" Bulma ran towards her son as he tried to climb up the first step. She grabbed him and looked up at the narrow hallway just in time to catch a glimpse a blonde strand retreated towards the end of the hallway.

"…Krillin?"

She listened for any other noise, all she heard was a door closing harshly in the background. "Krillin, who is up there?" Trunks tried reaching towards the railing of the stairs, eagerly wanting to play with the hidden figure. "Mama, no!" He managed to spit out.

"Hush baby," she ordered trying to tighten the grip of the squirming toddler.

"Bulma, we need to talk." Krillin placed his mug down on the table.

-/-

Eighteen simply lay in bed facing towards the ceiling. She rested her head on her hands and sank deep into thought. What Krillin had told Bulma intrigued the young cyborg. The ex-monk wanted a child-bearing partner, yet he had been following a cyborg around for weeks, er, months.

So what was she doing here?

She sighed and instinctively ran her a hand down her abdomen towards her pelvis. The Doctor had taken away so much from her. She wishes she couldn't think, have feelings, or have natural woman's instinct. It was all too confusing to deal with. Dammit, why did Vegeta make her lose those schematics?

Even if she could bear children, it would be sort of an oddball type of child. He was short and she wasn't exactly the tallest person around, he had a big goofy grin, she had a small petite mouth. Most of all, he lacked a nose, she didn't. Or, perhaps, it would be the most adorable looking child she ever seen.

She tested the theory by shoving a pillow into her shirt. It seemed nothing but repulsive to her in which she quickly removed it. Was she getting soft? Why did the thought even adventure through her mind? Was it perhaps jealousy against all of the other beautiful, child-bearing friends of his?

Why did it matter? She barely had kissed him!

She sighed deeply and placed the discarded pillow over her face. She had the urge to scream in it but decided against it.

-/-

"So, you see, I have this friend who has been living here for awhile now. I think her and I are hitting it off quite well."

"Oh?"

"She's smart, cool and collected, and is independent."

Bulma once again placed the moody toddler down. She a little ache in her chest but threw it off to the side. "So, things seem to be hitting off then?"

"Definitely, I don't think I could be happier right now."

"Well, at least you've gotten over the cyborg. It is healthy for you to over that. We were all kind of worried."

Krillin opened his mouth to say something but decided to disregard it. He was hoping to conclude the conversation with handing over the schematics he had been guarding with his life for the past couple of month to put the young woman's mind at ease. "I see."

"Can you believe we all took bets to see if you were actually going to approach her again or not? I guess Yamcha and Chi Chi owe me some money!"

"Heh."

Bulma glanced over at her watch to reveal a very disappointing 1345 running across it. "Shit! Hey, I need to go before the arrogant father returns for his lunch." She ran to grab Trunks really quick. "Hey, good luck with your relationship! Make sure you give Chi Chi a call to congratulate her!"

In what seemed like a split second, she grabbed Trunks, loaded the aircraft, and disappeared into the waves of the sea. Krillin groaned as he watched her leave. They weren't even in a full on relationship with each other, but if they ever were, it was definitely not going to be easy to break the news.

He would just have to take Eighteen's thinking spot for tonight, or at least until she got back from wherever she was.

-/-

A sigh of relief escaped as she heard the ship fly off. Her mind could now be at ease knowing her once attempted murderer was gone. It was now safe for her to jump back to her favorite spot on the roof.

She climbed outside the window to reveal the once occupied spot was definitely vacant at the moment. "Krillin, is that you?" She asked. She knew damn well who it was; she was just checking his level of consciousness.

"Yeah," he meekly responded. "Sorry, I know I am in your spot."

He was quickly joined when Eighteen pulled a spot next to him and laid down to stare at the same blue sky. "I take it things didn't go as anticipated?" She asked after a few moments of silence.

"No, not really."

"I see."

Another moment of silence. This confused her, normally she couldn't get him to shut up yet she was doing all the talking this time. She contemplated in her head what to say next. Honestly, she felt bad for him since from the looks of it, it seemed he wanted to burst crying.

And crying was for the weak of heart.

She knew exactly what she wanted to say to lighten the moment, not that it would have done anything. Or, at least, to her knowledge. "Krillin?"

"Hmm?"

"I, er… I think I like you." It felt as though her heart was about to split her chest cavity into two. A cold sweat took over the back of her neck, and she felt like she was nauseous. Maybe she should have not said anything.

"What?" For the first time in a few moments, Krillin raised his head up to meet Eighteen's eyes.

"I-, I love you," she managed to spill out. Though, she quickly came to the realization that she said the wrong word. _"Like, not love! Fool!"_

"Eighteen?"

Her eyes quickly shot down towards the shingles, she couldn't look at him in his eyes after what she had mistakenly stated. She felt as though she was going to hyperventilate with all the thoughts flooding her mind. She couldn't even hear Krillin calling out her name.

She felt a couple of fingers encompass her chin. They slowly lifted her head so she could once again have eye contact. He didn't say anything; all he did was look at her with those annoying puppy-dog eyes and lean forward for the _kill._

As his lips pressed against hers, her whole body seemed to tense up. She felt very stiff with her palms being sweaty, her breathing uneven, and her heart throbbing. Though, in a away, it also felt as though she was being swept off her feet. Dancing on clouds, as some would say.

She let her eyes close slowly and out of mere habit, wrapped her arms securely around his neck, pulling him closer. As she became more relaxed, she managed to let herself fall on her back onto the roof, allowing Krillin to hover over her.

Briefly, they stopped before proceeding. Krillin noticed the harsh rays reflect off her delicate skin and revealed the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. "I love you as well, Eighteen," he managed to say."

The two didn't remain outside for long. Not only because it was easily over 100 degrees, but they definitely needed some privacy.


	6. Complacency

**Author's Notes: **Chapter seven is going to be relatively short. I rushed this out before I am gone for a week to the field… yays for war games *sarcasm*. Anyways, this is where my story will start to get juicy and differ from the rest of the K/18 fics. I hope you enjoy and pleeeease, review. I like to know how I am doing!

**Deliverance  
Chapter 7 – Complacency **

An eye lid slowly opened to reveal a very groggy eye. Did this really happen? Was it all a dream? Did a once major threat to the world actually shown her vulnerable side and took her residence in his room last night? Krillin slowly lifted himself up with his hands and what he witnessed absolutely astounded him.

Eighteen was passed out on her stomach; hair spread amongst the sides of her and her hands tucked securely under her pillow. Her breathing was gentle and she looked as though she was finally in peace with herself. She was covered to her shoulder blades with the thick bed comforter, but nothing more. He swore a grin reached ear to ear at that moment. It wasn't a dream; it was reality, his future.

He decided to carefully get out of bed in hopes of not disturbing the sleeping cyborg. His clothes lay at the end of the bed in an obscure pile.

No doubt about it,_ it_ happened.

Eighteen managed to prop herself up on a single elbow and stare at the now half-clothed figure. Krillin then realized that at this moment had to be too good to be true. _"Oh man, she's going to kill me for last night, isn't she? No doubt that she probably has some doubts from what we did. Oh man, why me?"_

"Morning," she simply said brushing a few strands behind her ear.

"Uh, I… Morning to you too?" Krillin nervously put on his favorite red shirt which he picked up from the pile of clothing he had tossed only hours ago. "Er… how did you sleep?" Again, he was certain that she ready to blow a hole through him. She seemed sincere last night, but who knows, with his luck with woman, she more than likely changed her mind.

"Good, now stop stuttering like an idiot," she demanded.

"Yes, ma'am?" He nervously straightened out his shirt, not daring to make eye contact with her.

She grinned, and brought the comforter up to her chest. When he finally looked back up at her, Krillin couldn't help but stare at what seemed the most beautiful figure in the world. It was as though she had a particular glow to herself that made him just want to wrap his arms around her forever. "It is only cute to a certain extent, you know." Immediately, he snapped back into reality.

Krillin didn't know what to say to that, instead of answering, he simply scratched the back of his head which seemed to be engulfed by a forest of black strands. "I'm sorry," he admitted.

"Don't apologize either," she replied with a grin.

"Heh, well, you get dressed and I will make us a hot meal. Sound good?"

"Sounds wonderful."

-/-

"Mom?"

A young woman came running in the room balancing an infant in one hand and a blanket in the other. From the looks of her shoulder, the infant just finished burping up its breakfast. "Gohan, I told you the work load would be tough if that is what you were about to ask me."

Gohan was obviously frustrated behind the mountain of school books that lay in an array of all sorts. Every subject was covered from calculus to applied physics; obviously not age appropriate. But no, Gohan had a worried look spread upon his young face. "It's not that, mom. I feel something."

Chi Chi balanced her newborn onto her other arm. She knew exactly the excuse that let him abandon his work before. "Oh no you don't! You're not getting out of it this time, young man! I don't care if those robots are taking over or anything. You _will _finish your school work!"

Gohan let out of a groan of frustration. _"What the heck is that? It seems so familiar and powerful! I wonder if the others know. I am sure Vegeta went to investigate already. What about Mr. Piccolo?" _ He immediately shut his book and stood up. "Mom, this is important! Something is not right."

If looks could kill, Gohan was sure that he would join his father in the otherworld at that given moment. Immediately, he sat down as she made her way over to the frying pan. Such an evil torture device, geeze.

Without a second wasted, his rear immediately met with the wooden surface and resumed to chapter six.

Chi Chi smiled to herself with her son being hard at work. "Make mother proud now."

-/-

"_For the latest update on the mysterious tragedy of Satan City, please stay tuned! More to follow from Mr. Satan himself at nine."_

Eighteen raised an eyebrow as she descended down the stairs. She wondered what was going on in West City. Curiously, she peered over the guard rails to see the old hermit, turtle, pig, and Krillin glued to the television set.

"What are they talking about?" She asked, joining them.

Not moving an inch from his seat, Krillin merely shook his head. "I don't know. Supposedly a lot of people vanished in the middle of the night. They have Hercule looking for the answer and you know how that will turn out."

"That man is nothing but trouble," concurred Master Roshi. "Not disciplined and neglecting the true meaning of martial arts."

"The true meaning of martial arts?" Eighteen cocked an eyebrow only imagining what answer the retired master would give her. "What exactly would that be, old man?" Eighteen sneered.

"I dunno. I always thought it had to do something with getting a lot of chicks. He doesn't even have one!"

"I know, right?" Oolong stated. "I'd be having them lining up to my bedroom door if everyone believed I defeated Cell. Man, what is wrong with him?"

"Maybe he is not into girls," Krillin shrugged.

"True, but seriously… the human breast is the creator's gift to the world! What man in his right mind would reject such beauty?" Oolong snarled. "Honestly, I would know how to live without those warm breasts in between my hands…oh so warm." As though in unison, Master Roshi and Oolong entered a trance into their fantasy life. Krillin ignored them and continued watching the news through the annoying commercials such as Hercule's all in one deodorant system and glow in the dark, golden 'alien hair' gel.

Eighteen let out a sigh of disgust and walked towards the front door to catch some air while the others watched for an update.

The day was perfectly clear without a single cloud in the sky. She had to shield her eyes when she walked outside to block the harsh rays from blinding her. The seagulls gawked as loud as ever; the waves were as tranquil as night itself, and from the looks of it, crabs crawling out of their shelter to experience some of the conditions.

She looked around for a moment to contemplate an area that would shade her; the humidity was already starting to collect on her upper back. In the corner of the island, she spotted an almost abandoned hammock. It would have to suffice.

She jumped onto it and immediately became flooded with her thoughts. It had been an interesting night and definitely an interesting turn of events for her once killer instinct. _"Sleeping with the best friend of my once worst enemy." _She chuckled to herself a bit. "What have you gotten yourself into, old girl?"

"Eighteen, are you still out here?"

Eighteen lazily looked over towards the direction of the voice. "Where else would I be? Did you not just see me walk out the door?"

"Do you want to come with me? I am going to investigate what is going on. I think it might be serious."

She snickered in response. "Why don't you have Mr. Hotshot defeat it? I mean, he did beat Cell after all."

"Come on, I am being serious! Do you want to go or not?" Krillin asked getting a little irritated.

Eighteen propped herself up and let herself slip off the hammock. "Fine. Though, I am sure we are not going to find anything." She rolled her eyes and the two quickly flew off towards the direction of the city in distress.

-/-

The two floated in mid-air in deal silence. It was truly a one of a kind scene they were witnessing.

"Why are all the people running?" Eighteen asked. She was intrigued by the herds of people running for their life, almost as though she was her future counterpart. "What is there to be afraid of?"

The two hit land and immediately searched for an answer. Something was not right and Krillin could feel it deep within his heart. "I don't know, but I am not liking the feeling about this." He immediately went into a defensive stance as he walked around investigating the town's square. Eighteen merely crossed her arms and casually looked around.

Ages of all sorts were stampeding over each other trying to get out of the way. Cars were bumper to bumper on the main street honking their horns viciously; people even started to abandon their cars and run on foot. "Hey, sir, what are you running from?" Krillin tried to grab a high class businessman's arm which he simple shrugged off and continued running in a particular direction.

Eighteen, of course, decided to take a different approach. She knew none of these civilians would comply out of whatever fear they were experiencing. She decided to wait for a, what she called, 'young punk' and grabbed him by his shirt.

"What d-do you want, chick?" She looked at him curiously; it was as though all the blood was draining out of his face from fear. She could even feel him quivering in her grip.

"I want to know what is happening!" she snarled.

"Please let me go!" the youngster had tears brimming in his eyes. Never did she expect to see so much fear out of a normal human being.

She simply tightened her grip on his shirt and shot a pair of determined eyes at him. "That wasn't a request, you know."

"RUN!"

Eighteen let go and immediately spun around. What she saw astonished her. Skyscrapers, dozens of floors tall, crumbling down to the ground as though they were made from tooth picks. People screaming in bloody murder… absolute chaos.

"Krillin, what's happening?" She turned back to him to see him staring at everything in awe. His mouth dropped at least three inches and was barely hanging there. "Krillin?"

She swallowed hard and prepared for the fight of her life.


End file.
